Nothing in Stone
by theunknownvoice
Summary: They were united by loss. His wife was dead. Her husband was murdered. They were united by cause. Her with the league, him with the society. But in at least one lifetime they have found in each other their other half.
1. Graveyard of Broken Hearts

Nothing in Stone

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville.

Chapter 1: Graveyard of Broken Hearts

Jimmy Olson.

A light February snow draped the graveyard with faint touches. It wasn't often that Chloe Sullivan found herself walking among the sleepers. It was what her mother had always called the dead. A sort of romantic phrasing but Chloe had longed to be a writer and while she found truth more valuable than flowery phrases there was a certain appeal.

Chloe had always been pragmatic. Always searching for truth, never leaving a question unanswered. She could find any answer except her own.

"I know I haven't been here recently. I'm working with Oliver and some of the others. I'm trying to be happy. I--"

She trembled staring at the tombstone. She was supposed to have a happily ever after. Jimmy and she were supposed to enjoy the early day of marriage. They were supposed to have children and grow old together. There were so many supposed to bes and not enough had happens.

"It hurts doesn't it?"

Chloe's head whipped around. "I don't know what I did for to have the JSA approach me when I'm at my husband's grave."

"Not the JSA just me."

Carter Hall stood not to her far from her. His eyes never left a grave in the center.

"Your wife?"

"Shayera was buried here in Metropolis. I try to come once every few months but lately…How did you loose you husband?"

"Doomsday. Jimmy was just a photographer at the Daily Planet. I met him when I was working there."

"Did he know about—"

"I kept Jimmy from the line of fire."

"Not too well."

His accusation cut through her. "You have no right—"

"Keeping people out of this life isn't possible. It never works. Nelson tried to. But he couldn't protect Ineza and his children from his life. The others thought they could keep their families in the dark but prison made that rather difficult. Our families were forced to learn the truth."

"I would have told Jimmy everything. I would've."

"You know you wouldn't. When you live a life like ours you live a half life. Stop hiding who you are."

Chloe glanced at the grave in the center. "You must have been very lucky to not have to hide those parts of yourself."

Carter gazed at the grave. Shayera. She had been with him for thousands of years and this time he felt the horrible breech as if separation was permanent, concrete. He had dreamed of her recently and with only Sandy Hawkins to interpret he didn't bother to ask. Sandy was Wes's protégée but that didn't mean that there was trust.

_The world was so far away from him. He could see the society. The old members merged with the new and it was unending. In the white light he felt himself alone._

_Her hands. He knew her by her hands as they brushed the contours of his face._

"_Shayera."_

"_Hello Carter."_

"_Why are you here? I haven't seen you in dreams for so long."_

_Shayera smiled softly at him in the brightness. "You had a purpose with Nelson. You were able to stay alive because he needed you. The Society needs you but I know you Carter. You will not stay with the Society after you feel they are established enough. Courtney needs you right now but Sylvester trained her. Pat will help her. You are loosing your resolve Carter."_

"_I admit that death is very appealing. We can begin our cycle again very soon."_

"_There will be no more cycles Carter. It ends my dear one."_

"_Shayera, you cannot mean—"_

"_I can see your fate Carter. Our souls are parting ways. Room in your soul and your heart is necessary."_

"_Shayera!"_

_She faded into the light. "It is not that I don't love you Carter. I do this because I do."_

"_SHAYERA!"_

He had lived with that dream for three weeks. Alone. He had been a fool to think that he was the only one who had suffered. He looked at the young woman standing alone. Her loss had been engraved in her soul. He could see the brand that he too carried marking her.

"It's been a long time since I talked about Shayera."

"Does it stop hurting?"

He could see the tears in green eyes. There was too much pain there for one so young. He could see that she carried the weight of her team upon herself. She was only the source of information, the researcher, the seeker of answers, the asker of questions. Yet she had taken upon herself to pull her team back from the brink.

Carter Hall was not a soft man. Chloe had known that from the moment she met him throwing Oliver through the ceiling. Carter was harshness and precision. He was a soldier and while she had surrounded herself by heroes they were not warriors. Oliver was about the logistics. Clark was about the heart.

His arms wrapped around her as he stroked her hair. "I wish it did."

For once Chloe let herself be broken. She cried over lost love and over obligation. The world felt Chloe Sullivan's tears and Carter Hall's heart softened a little.

Oliver Queen didn't expect to see the shadow over the glass roof of the watchtower. It didn't bring back pleasant memories.

Chloe had come home hours before shivering from the snow. She had looked cold but refused to acknowledge him as she trudged to her bedroom.

"Do I want to know why I have the pleasure of your company?"

"I wish I was here to throw you the window again. But I'd like a repeat performance maybe later."

Oliver glared. "I don't have time for this Carter. My team—"

"That's why I'm here. You're not taking care of your team."

"You—"  
"Your Watchtower, she needs some support. You seem to think that she is invincible but she's not. She is flesh and blood not a search engine."

"What the gives you the right to accuse me of that? Chloe's fine. She always bounces back. She might be going through some personal stuff but she knows she can talk to me or Clark."

Carter bit back his retort. The woman he stood in the graveyard holding—he knew that type of pain. The two men she called her friends were obviously too up to the necks in their own lives.

"Carter, what really brings you here? Besides some irrational concern about Chloe. I doubt you wanted to be here especially with it snowing."

"The JSA will be in contact with you. The other original members would like to meet your team."

"I'll have Chloe set it up. Anything else?"

"Tell Chloe to call me. I'm handling it personally."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you play social secretary?"

"Just tell her to call me before I decide to shove my mace somewhere that the light never sees."

"What nice imagery."

"Just have Chloe call me. I'll be at the museum."

To be continued…


	2. The Truth of Suffering

Chapter 2: The Truth of Suffering

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville.

A/N: I'm back. Sorry for the long wait. For those of you who just watch Smallville but don't read comics Jay Garrick (the Flash I), Alan Scott (Green Lantern I) and Ted Grant (Wildcat) are original founders in the JSA. In the most recent incarnation of the team, they and Hawkman restart the team.

"You want to be the one to arrange the meeting?" Jay Garrick thought he might pass out when Carter grunted in response.

They were the JSA gym. Carter lifting weights while Jay had just broken the latest treadmill. Apparently those things weren't made to take the speed of sound. Why would've thought it?

"Since when are you social organizer? You told Ma that you thought that the other team might be good but arranging a meeting so soon was and I quote, 'Total bullshit. Those kids don't even have their whole team together.' end quote," Alan Scott replied.

He had to the gym after hearing Ma Hunkle and Dinah Drake Lance talk about the situation. The two women had been in shock considering Ma had been told by Carter that her services weren't needed on this one. Ma always did the niceties and the social stuff considering Carter's idea of a gathering was a training exercise.

"Your point?"

"Since when does Carter Hall, socially inept warrior, decide to arrange a meet and greet?" Ted Grant asked.

Ted had been forcing his son Tommy to actually learn to throw a punch back. The kid was such a pacifist. If it wasn't for the fact Tommy looked exactly like him, Ted would've of doubted his parentage. Still there was nothing quite as shocking as Carter trying to be social. The world must be ending somewhere or hell was frozen over. Take your pick.

These three men who Carter trusted with his life were about to make him throw the weights at them. "I'm well aware of my shortcomings."

Ted snorted. "As aware as you are of anything. You don't do social. You never have. You leave that to Alan, Ma and Jay."

"I'm the leader and I'm doing it this time. You three can stop acting like old woman and get the team going. How are the rookies doing in training?" Carter demanded.

"They're good kids."

"You always say they're good kids. Right now, Jay, I want to know how their doing?"

"Fair," Alan replied.

"They suck but I'll beat them into shape," Ted said glaring at Alan.

"Then do you're jobs and I'll do mine."

Chloe sat staring at the monitors. It wasn't everyday she was allowed to test her new equipment.

"No problems with the camera?"

"None," Victor replied.

"It doesn't bother you. I know it's implanted under some of your tissue," Chloe said watching the feed from the aforementioned camera.

"Girl, do you have any idea how much of me is machine? Sometimes I feel like a Swiss army knife on steroids."

Chloe chuckled. "I never thought of that. You're probably the cyber-generation's version."

"You know it. I gotta go now Chloe. I've got a class."

"Good luck with the civilian id."

She sighed cutting the feed off and drinking some coffee. It was decent but not good. If she wasn't so caffeine dependant already she would've poured it down the sink. Then again it was the caffeine that was getting her through the day. Right now she envied Victor. School and civilian life sounded great. Only for today though. Being a sidekick wasn't bad most days but since going to Jimmy's grave she was thinking of an ordinary life. The ordinary life they had planned.

There had been the dog. It was going to be a big dog because she hated little dogs. Especially after the ones that Lana had insisted on looking at when they went to the pound. Then there were the kids. Some days she could see their 2.5 kids. Hey that was the average and knowing about all the meteor rocks in Smallvile half a kid wasn't that shocking.

There was the house that Jimmy had picked out for them. It was decorated with their dreams and made with love. Their life was beautiful.

"Chloe!"

She spat out the coffee. "Clark, what is it?"

"I need your help. I forgot Lois's birthday and…"

This was her life now. She had to remember that. She was the human search engine, the team's constant mediator and the best friend who solved every emergency.

"Lois really wants one of those digital tape recorders. I ordered one weeks ago. Go up to the bedroom and just change the card."

"What about you?"

She hated when he gave that look. He was trying to tell her not to be too self-sacrificing. He was apologizing in that dopey Clark Kent way. So the farmboy still existed. Good to know.

"Oh I'll get Lois something else. Don't worry about it Clark."

She said it because it was expected. He grinned at her before rushing off.

"Chloe!"

What now? Could she not drink this disgusting coffee in peace? She needed the caffeine her brain didn't work without.

"What is it Oliver?"

"Did you call Carter?"

Again she spat out her coffee. What the hell? She had thought about Carter a lot recently but calling him…he had said if she needed anything. Oliver didn't know about that.

"What are you talking about?"

Oliver was still dressed for a business meeting. "He came by the other night. He wants you to call him to set up the meeting between our team and the Society. He also chewed me out. Said I was treating more like a search engine than a human being."

"He said what?"

She could feel the rage building up in her. She wasn't some weak little girl that needed protection. She was a grown woman. She was Watchtower and her team needed her. She had known letting Hawkman see her one moment of weakness was a mistake.

"Chloe, I wouldn't—"

Oliver stared in horror as Chloe's eyes went steely. She picked up the phone and dialed the museum.

"Keystone Historical Society Museum, Carter Hall speaking."

"You've got a lot of nerve."

"Chloe?"

"No, it's someone else who wants to chew you out. Who the hell do you think it is? The tooth fairy?"

"What's this about?" He didn't have time for this crap. He had to get the new exhibit set-up. It wasn't like archeology was the best paying field on the planet.

"How dare you tell Oliver, I couldn't handle life! No wonder he's been treating me like a mental patient."

"I knew I should've dropped that idiot through the ceiling again. Maybe then he'll actually think."

"So then you told him I was a mess? What you think I'm about to cash in my chips or something? Think I'm a suicide risk because you found me crying at my dead husband's grave? Maybe my life has sucked lately but that doesn't mean that you have the right to get involved. I'm doing fine. My life might be screwed up but it's mine. I'm fine. I'm always alright. I bounce back it's what I do. I'm fine. I really am fine. Why can't anyone see that I'm fine. I really am fi-"

"Shut up," he said coldly. "You're not fine and we both know it. That idiot Queen is in the room with you isn't he."

"Yes," Chloe replied her eyes clouding with tears.

Olive was gapping at her. She could see the concern in his eyes. Her hands were shaking and she felt the tears building. She had been trying so hard to make it ok. She had tried so hard.

"You listen to me. You're to hand the phone to Queen. Do you understand?"

She nodded but then realized how stupid that was. Carter couldn't see her through the phone. "Yes."

"Oliver Queen here."

"You listen to me and you listen good. Effective immediately Chloe is on leave. You need to figure out how to run the team without her."

"You can't tell me what to do. I'm the leader of this team and I—"

"Do you honestly think she's functioning correctly? Do you think she's dealt with anything lately?"

"No but—"

"You call yourself her friend? You hypocrite. Do you not realize that she's no position to—"

"No, you listen. I agree with you. Damn it!" Oliver said. "I agree but you can't tell me how to run my team. It's my team and you have your own team to run. So back off. I agree with you though."

"She needs time away."

"Maybe I can send her to visit Lana or to Paris. She can spend some time in Europe relaxing and when she's ready then she can—"

Carter wanted to strangle him. She needed to be alone like he needed to get drunk. "You really are an idiot. She doesn't need to be alone. She just needs to be somewhere where she's not stressed out. She can come to Keystone and stay with me."

"You're not exactly Mr. Sensitive. Why would I send her to you?"

Chloe's ears twitched at those words. Carter wanted her to come see him? He wanted to help her? She hadn't felt so bad when she talking to him. He had made her see that it was ok to grieve. He'd give her space. He wasn't exactly touchy-feely like Clark and he wouldn't be awkward about the whole thing like Oliver.

"It's not like you've dealt with your grief," Oliver continued.

"I want to go!" Chloe yelled.

He wanted to help her and he understood. He had buried someone and the boys, they didn't get it. They couldn't. They hadn't had to suffer this way.

"What?" Oliver said staring at her.

"Please Ollie. I want to go. Carter he buried his wife and I buried my husband. He understands."

"Fine," Oliver said into the phone. "As long as I'm the one who drops her off."

"And Arrow?"

"What?" Oliver snapped. He rarely hated Carter when he was like this.

"You ever tell me how to grieve properly again and I'll not only throw you through the roof I'll kill you."

To be continued…


End file.
